Trump Just Got Called Out On His $5 Million Birther Promise

Donald Trump officially renounced “birtherism” today, admitting that President Obama was in fact born in the United States in an elaborate press conference that turned out to be just an excuse to get free airtime to show off his new hotel opening in Washington D.C. Trump was once so convinced that President Obama was originally born in Kenya that he made a video promising to donate $5 million to charity: “Now, I have a deal for the President. … If Barack Obama opens up and gives his college records and applications, and if he gives his passport applications and records, I will give to a charity of his choice — inner city children in Chicago, American Cancer Society, AIDS research, anything he wants, a check, immediately, for $5 million.”

The rudeness and self-entitled privilege that Trump shows by being a private citizen with the gall to demand to see the personal papers of the President of the United States based on an obvious racist and delegitimizing conspiracy is just astounding, and we cannot allow him to just wave a magic wand and gaslight the entire nation.

Washington Post reporter David Fahrenholt has been tracking Trump’s promised charitable donations (spoiler – there aren’t many) and sent a message to the Trump campaign asking, since he has now fulfilled the terms of his own “deal,” whether or not he will donate the money that he promised, or if he’s going to backtrack on his promises for umpteenth time.

Colin Taylor is the managing editor of Occupy Democrats. He graduated from Bennington College with a Bachelor's degree in history and political science. He now focuses on advancing the cause of social justice and equality in America.